UNLV Distance Education	University of Nevada, Las Vegas PSY210 Section 1004 (Distance Education) Statistical Methods in Psychology
	Professor Russell T. Hurlburt Spring 2012 Syllabus

Course goals and overview Who should take this course? Computer equipment you will need Required materials Prerequisites

How to register How this course works Advice from former students About the professor Homework Examinations and grades

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Copyright 2012 Russell T. Hurlburt (see terms of use). Last modified 1/19/12































PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Course Goals and Overview


This course has two major goals: (a) to acquire an understanding of basic statistical concepts; and (b) to be able to perform accurately basic statistical computations. Students will demonstrate their understanding by providing "eyeball-estimates" of all statistics before computations are performed.

The course lectures are delivered as RealAudio streams both across the World Wide Web and on the Personal Trainer CD (included free with your textbook). Thus these lectures are asynchronous -- available any place and any time you have access to the Web or the CD. See How this course works.

The course exams take place according to a fixed schedule -- that is the exams are not asynchronous. The dates are shown below. You must take the exams between 8:00 a.m. and 11:15 p.m. (last exam starts at 10:00) on the assigned dates either at Distance Education on the UNLV campus or at a remote proctored site arranged by UNLV Distance Education. See Examinations and grades.

Tentative examination dates (2012): Wednesday, February 1; Monday, February 27; Monday, March 19; and Wednesday, April 18

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Who Should Take This Course?

Anyone who is eligible to take a course at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas may take this course. You do not need to be physically present in Las Vegas because the entire course (except the exams, which must be taken in proctored locations) will be available at any time and any place served by the world wide web.

However, you should recognize that success in this course requires that you be self-motivated. There are no scheduled class meetings to "remind" you that it is time to think about statistics.

Furthermore, your success in this class relies heavily on your ability to read and understand the textbook. There will be short lectures ("lectlets"), but some of the material in this class will be presented only in the textbook. (Students generally find the textbook to be very clear and self-explanatory.)

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Computer Equipment You Will Need


Computer requirements are:

• RealPlayer, version 5.0 or later; this is free software available on the Web or on the Personal Trainer CD. (You may have to hunt for the freeware on the real.com site, but it's there. You do *not* need to purchase RealPlayer Plus.)
• A sound card with speakers for your computer. Click check my sound system. That should launch the online version of Personal Trainer. Once there, press Tutorial. If you can hear audio, your system is adequate.

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Download the RealPlayer plugin


RealPlayer is software that allows your browser to play audio (and video) selections that are encoded in the RealPlayer format. RealPlayer is distributed free of charge by its developer, RealNetworks Inc. When you click the Download RealPlayer Now button below, you will be taken to the RealNetworks site.

The RealNetworks site will try to sell you a product called RealPlayer Plus G2. For this course, you do not need to purchase RealPlayer Plus G2 (it will work fine, so if it has features you want, by all means buy it).

Find the button on the RealNetworks site that allows you to download the free version (which is called simply RealPlayer). At the time this syllabus was prepared, there was a blue button called "Free RealPlayer G2" at the upper right corner of the RealNetworks site, but they could change that at any time.

Windows users: When you begin the download of RealPlayer, jot down the file name (which will be named something like rp50_30.exe) and the path. Then, when downloading is complete, exit your browser, use My Computer to find that file, and double-click its icon. That will install RealPlayer for your browser. When you are satisfied that RealPlayer is installed, you may delete the rp50_30.exe file.

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Required Materials for PSY210

• TEXT: Hurlburt, R.T. (2006). Comprehending behavioral statistics (4th ed.). Belmont, California: Wadsworth. When you buy this book, make sure it has an uncorrupted Personal Trainer CD attached to the inside front cover. DO NOT BUY THE BOOK WITHOUT THE CD. This text may be purchased from the bookstore, or click here to order directly from the publisher.
• COMPUTER SOFTWARE: Hurlburt, R. T. (2006). Personal Trainer 4.0. Belmont, California: Wadsworth. This CD is included free with your textbook and operates in both Windows and Macintosh computers. The CD includes a complete set of lectlets and the eyeball-estimation and computational program ESTAT. Parts of the CD version of Personal Trainer do not operate on new 64-bit computers. An online version of Personal Trainer that operates on all computers can be found here.
  
• STUDY GUIDE: Koch, P. C. (2006). Study guide for Hurlburt's Comprehending Behavioral Statistics (4th ed.). Belmont, California: Wadsworth. The study guide is optional but is strongly recommended for students who may desire a guided review of each chapter and additional worked examples. The study guide also presents many exercises similar to ESTAT. This study guide may be purchased from the bookstore, or click here to order directly from the publisher.
• CALCULATOR: A calculator is required for this course. A $5.00 version that has a square root key and a single memory function is adequate. Calculators with special statistical functions are permitted, but you will be required to show your work anyway.

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Arithmetic Prerequisite



Introductory psychology (PSY101) and college algebra (Mat 096, 124, or 126 or satisfactory placement on the mathematics pretest) are prerequisites for this course. Take the "Self-test for arithmetic" found in Appendix B of the textbook immediately. If you don't score 90% or higher on that test, you should seriously consider dropping this course and adding an algebra course.

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

How to Register for PSY210.1004



Use the same registration procedure you would use for any other UNLV course.

If you have the proper equipment installed, and you can be present for the exams on the dates specified, register as usual.

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

How This Course Works


As you proceed through the course, you will listen to Dr. Hurlburt provide a brief "lectlet" introducing the material you will read. These short introductions will take the place of classroom lectures, and provide some demonstrations that are impossible in printed form. Lectlets are available on the Personal Trainer CD that is included free with the textbook. The lectlets are also available on the Internet.

You will also read a section of Dr. Hurlburt's textbook, widely regarded as one of the clearest and most innovative textbooks available.

After each few chapters, you will go to a testing center (either at UNLV or at a remote location) where a proctor will administer the examination on those chapters.

Thus PSY210 is an optimized multimedia presentation of statistical material. It seeks to capitalize on the advantages of each medium by

• Using a printed textbook to present major content areas (see why a textbook is best)
• Using an individually installed computer program to give skill practice and computational aid (see why a locally installed program is best)
• Using audio lectlets to introduce chapter sections (see why lectlets are best)
• Using the web to present the course structure (see why the web is best for structure)
• Using live proctored examinations for evaluation (see why live proctored examinations are best)

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Why a Textbook is the Optimal Way to Present Content


A textbook is:

• Easy to use (to carry around, to underline, to refer back and forth, etc.)
• Easy to read because the type face is clear. This allows longer and more complex texts to be read with comprehension
• Permanent, which generally leads to more careful construction: better editing, better peer review, more thorough revision
• Printed at high quality: the graphics are clear, special typographic characters are available, the layouts of the pages are precisely controlled
• Backed by a publisher whose reputation and considerable financial assets are on the line, which provides something of a guarantee of accuracy.

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Why a Locally Installed Computer Program is the Optimal Way to Explore Data



A locally installed computer program is:

• Fast, so there is little delay between your input and your feedback (the computer's response)
• Easily controlled: You can use the mouse to manipulate objects on the screen directly
• Sophisticated. An application designed directly for your computer can take advantage of that computer's capabilities

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Why Lectlets are the Optimal Way to Introduce Topics



A lectlet is:

• Short: Specifically targeted at one topic
• Always ready: You can hear the lecture at your convenience
• Repeatable: You can listen again if you desire
• Controllable: If an interruption occurs or you lose concentration, you can pause and/or rewind (try that in a classroom lecture!)
• Helpful for people with special needs: Volume can be individually adjusted by the hearing impaired; rate of presentation can be controlled by the those for whom language is difficult; repetition is easy for those with attention difficulties; and so on

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Why the Web (or the Personal Trainer CD) is the Optimal Way to Provide Course Structure



Material on the web is:

• Remote: It goes anywhere in the world
• Updatable: Changes can be distributed easily
• Portable: It is available wherever you are

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Why live proctored examination settings are the Optimal Way to Take Exams



A live proctored examination is:

• Near you
• Secure: The proctor controls the test materials
• Less subject to abuse: The proctor can ensure identification of the test taker

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Advice from Former Students

Near the end of semesters, I ask students who were just completing PSY210 (both live classroom and distance education) whether they had any advice they would like to share with incoming students. Was there anything that they wished they had known at the beginning of the semester? Here's what they said, basically unedited...

Here's my piece of advice to future statistic students: Do the homework! --Amy

This is the first method that I have ever used to truly learn statistics. If you follow the plan as he has outlined you will do well. The lectlets are great, the book is well written, informative but not dry, and the quizzes keep you on your toes. Do not get behind, do the work assigned and enjoy an understanding of Statistical Methods. --Alan

If you stay on top of everything there is no way you won't understand what is going on. Read the book, listen to the lectlets and take advantage of everything offered on the Personal Trainer. If you keep up with the syllabus there is no way you will fail. --Vivien

Here's my suggestion for taking the class: You need to do all the homework assignments for every chapter so it will help you understand the subject as well as getting extra credit for it... make sure you go to class every day or listen to the lectlets... and make sure you do all the extra credit... if you do all of these, you'll be more likely to get an A for this class...:) --Maria

My advice would be to definitely do the homework problems, which help tremendously with the test. I would also recommend reading the book along with taking lecture notes because your tests have information in them that is more thoroughly discussed in your book, although your lectures are great too. It's also good to take notes from the book as you read, and draw the distributions that are given as examples in the book. The last thing that I would recommend is trying to understand statistics, not just memorize the equations. When you do that, the class is so much easier to understand. --Ruff

My advice would be for distance ed students to try to get together during the semester and chat about the class, homework, problems, or solutions. This method seems to help in other D.E. classes and could be a real advantage here too. --Mary

I wish there was advice when I first started the class! For both live and distance-education classes I would tell them to pay strict attention to the side notes (in the textbook margins) and definitely listen to the lectlets whether they are distance ed or not. For me, it really made a difference in my comprehension of difficult principles. --Monica

I think it is a very good idea to have input from prior students because an online course- especially this course!- can be very intimidating. I found that the strong points of the course were in the organization of the material. There was not any concept that I could not learn if I just went back and listened again to the lectlets or went over the ESTAT lessons again. I found they were more helpful than the book, which was easier to get lost in. My best advice is to make sure to set aside Monday night or a night early on in the week to do the lectlets and quizzes because they are due on Fridays. Make it like an actual classroom hour. Too many times I had to rush a quiz out in the end because I procrastinated. I really felt that this was an easy class to comprehend if you put the normal amount of time in to it you would any class -- nothing extraordinary. It is that explicative and interactive. --Tiffany

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Russell T. Hurlburt



Russell T. Hurlburt is Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. For more information visit his web site

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Homework



Homework is due on the day of the exams for the relevant chapters. Turn the homework in to your exam proctor. There is no specified format: pencil on paper is fine.

Required homework is Section A and Section C at the end of each chapter (except that Chapter 1 has no Section C).

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Examinations and Grades


Examinations will by proctored by UNLV Distance Education, and will take place on the campus at UNLV (at a location to be announced). It is also possible to make arrangements for proctors at other locations both within Nevada and around the world; click here for more information. All examinations will be proctored by employees of UNLV or their designees.

Examinations 1, 2, 3, and 4 will each last 75 minutes and must begin between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on the day scheduled.

These examinations will be closed book and closed notes, but you may use a calculator during the exam. You may bring to all exams one 'exam notes sheet' of your own creation, using one or both sides of an 8.5 X 11 inch piece of paper. Do not bother to write out equations; we will provide a Xerox copy of the equations that are shown in the inside front and back covers of your textbook.

The last exam will be take home and will actually be two exams in one. One of these last exams, Examination 5, will cover Chapters 16, 17, and 18 and will have the same format as the first four exams. As with the previous exams, this score may be dropped if it is your lowest score. The other last exam will be the Cumulative Review Final Exam and will have the same format as Section C of the homework exercises for Chapters 10 through 18. The Cumulative Review Exam is not droppable.

Examination 5 and the Cumulative Review Final Exam are take home, open notes, open book, and are not timed. They are both due at the time shown on this schedule (which is the time shown for the final exam in the UNLV course schedule).

We will drop the your lowest score on the five chapter Examinations and the lab quiz composite score.

Your final grade will be therefore based on six equally weighted scores: the best five of the Examinations and lab quiz composite, and the Cumulative Review Final Exam. Note that the Cumulative Review Final Exam is not droppable. (We will drop your quiz composite score if it is your lowest score.)

Each of those scores is worth 100 points. Therefore your final grade will be based on 600 points. Grade categories will be 10% wide; thus an A will be 540 points and above; a B will be 480 points and above, a C will be 420, a D 360, and and F 359 and below.

Homework will 'soften' the edges of these categories. For example, if your total points is 539 and you have done no homework, you will receive a B. However, if you have done some of the homework, you will receive an A. The more homework you have done, the more lenient we will be.

There will be no make-up exams. If you miss an exam, that will be the score that will be dropped.

NOTE: I take an extremely dim view of cheating, and will recommend penalties as extreme as the UNLV Code allows.

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

Remote (distant from UNLV) students
If you wish to take examinations at a site distant from UNLV, you must arrange a proctor that is satisfactory to Dr. Hurlburt. This proctor may be a university or community college professor in your local location, a librarian, a police officer, etc. We will fax exams to the proctor, who will fax your answers back to us. The same exam dates and times apply as for local students.

Once you have arranged a proctor, email the proctor's name, affiliation, e-mail address, and fax number to Dr. Hurlburt at russ@unlv.nevada.edu.

PSY210: Statistical Methods in Psychology

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